1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid immersion exposure apparatus, an exposure method, and a method for producing a device, wherein a substrate is exposed through a liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid immersion exposure apparatus, in which a substrate is exposed through or via a liquid, has been contrived as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-289128 in relation to an exposure apparatus to be used for the photolithography step.
In the conventional technique, a shutter member is arranged at a position opposite to or facing a light exit surface (light outgoing surface) of the projection optical system to form a space holding or retaining the liquid between the shutter member and the light exit surface of the projection optical system. There is a possibility that the shutter member is deteriorated and/or polluted. If the shutter member is continuously used while leaving the state that the shutter member is deteriorated and/or polluted as it is, the following possibility arises such that, for example, the liquid, which is retained between the shutter member and the light exit surface of the projection optical system, leaks, and/or that the light exit surface of the projection optical system is polluted (for example, any water mark appears, etc.). If such an inconvenience or problem arises, for example, there is a possibility that the exposure accuracy is deteriorated. Further, if it is necessary that the maintenance operation is performed frequently due to, for example, the leakage of the liquid and/or the pollution of the projection optical system, then there is a possibility that the working rate of the exposure apparatus is lowered.
The present invention has been made taking the foregoing circumstances into consideration, an object of which is to provide a liquid immersion exposure apparatus which makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the performance which would be otherwise caused by any member holding or retaining the liquid between the member and an optical member (for example, a terminal (final) optical element of a projection optical system, etc.) when a substrate is exposed through a liquid, and a method for producing a device by using the liquid immersion exposure apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide an exposure method which makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the performance of the liquid immersion exposure apparatus which would be otherwise caused by such a member when a substrate is exposed through a liquid, and a method for producing a device by using the exposure method.